San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-01-10
as all Of which the bewildered wo-

I Of the garden, shading her eyes from the
! sun, and looking for him. A sudden
CLEAN OF light and JOY came. from her
| eyes when she caught sight OF him.
She fastened to him and told him her
; news, that two very grand ladies had
come to see him, and were waiting for
him in the drawing-room; she added
/ that one was Lady Gerton, the other
| Lady MAY Carleton, and he fell back
| with white scared face like one who
had received a sudden blow.
| "You do not like Them" she said,
with quick instinct. "You would rather
not see them? Let me 60 back and
make some excuse for you"
mo, must see them, he said, they
are very old friends Of mine. / must
see them" -.. ..
She knew that for some reason or
| other he wished they had not come. She
looked at him with loving eyes, full OF
sympathy. .a... -. Nh I'll.
"These are the first visitors you have
had since you came here, she said, ''but
| / wish they had not come to-day, our
happy day.
He went slowly back to the house; in
| those few minutes he had realized it all,
had realised that he was engaged to be
married to Lady May, that he did not
love her at all, but that all the love Of
| his heart was given to Bonnie Doom. He
looked very i'll when he entered the lit
| tie drawing-room.
Lady May went to meet him. There
was no attempt at kissing. AL
"You look very ill, Eric" she said.
~ am sorry not to find you looking bet
ter" q
He murmured something about hop
ing to be better soon, and Lady Gerton
joined in. a........- ---..-..
you have been here three months"
she said, land you are none the better
for it. Come back with us tonight, and
we will go to Gerton Towers to-mor-
row." gnc ..~TlyI
81 could not" he said.
"YOu must" said Lady Gerton most
emphatically. IF I were Lady May /
should insist upon it,
~ think, y said Lady May, that 1t
would be best; you have given the place
fair trial, and it has not suited you;
you must leave it sometime, you may as
we'll come now"
II must have time" he said,. despair
inglSS;; :, 49, -, J, uon,,os ,s,,
May, calmly; You cannot have many
things here, and these good women will
pack for you.
GOOD women!' Oh Bonnie Doom,
what name to give you'll
1--WE can talk about that afterwards"
said Eric, II have not thought yet about
it; am afraid that am not quite ready
for work just yet"
"And never will be, while you stay
here" said Lady Gerton, decidedly.
"You wanted change and quiet, but l
think you have had quiet too long. If
you are wise man now, you will seek
change Of scene; you must have been
very dull here"
"Dull," he repeated, mechanically,
and then 1t suddenly occurred to him
that he had not found one dull moment
since he had been there. ~ .-
"You want society, now" said Lady
May, with that briskness which was so
completely the reverse of all that was
tender, society and something to rouse
you little"
All, Bonnie Doom! would he ever
again find society like hers? Could he
leave her? Why, now that he began to
realise matters. his very heart chung to
the simple homestead. and those who
dwelt therein. He realised it when he
looked in the face of his future wife.
I'VE will talk about it afterwards"
he said. Il hope l shall have the pleas
ure Of entertaining you. Mrs. Vaughan
will do her best in the way of dinner. Y"
''0f course we shall stay" said Lady
May. ut is twenty mile drive from
the town. We can have room, sup
pose, EricY'
Then Mr.. st. John rang for Mrs.
Vaughan, and asked her to show the
ladies into a room. On the way to the
"best bedroom" of the old farmhouse,
they met Ruth.
She looked lovelier than ever, and
went up to her cousin.
May" she said, Il know you to be a
sensible woman, or | should be afraid
to speak. People seldom receive any
thanks for interfering with the affairs
Of their friends. / know you are not
sentimental girl, but sensible woman,
and advise you to persuade Mr.. st.
John to leave this place tonight"
Lady Mays pleasant face had grown
pale.
"Why?" she asked; but in her heart
she knew the answer that was coming.
HE is fond of that girl" said Lady
Gerton, decidedly, land the girl loves
him. / can tell from his manner there
is something wrong, and can tell from
her face she loves him. ---..- B
"Do you not think that you may be
too quick in your judgment?' she said.
mo. Mind, l am saying nothing
against Mr.. st. John. Men think moth
ing of these little affairs. He has proba-
bly, flirted with her as he has done with
score of others whose names are for
gotten now, and she will be forgotten as
soon. The difference is, this girl would
take thing of this kind most seriously
to heart.
SLOW do you know that?" asked Lady
May.
"Girls with those large dreamy eyes
are all alike, !" said her ladyship, Oraeu-
larry. Sentimental to the last degree.
The best thing will be for him TO return
with us at once" -. o.. ..a....-...
II think you are right" said Lady
May, quietly, but she lost some of her
briskness and brightness during the last
few hours; this was not at all what she
had expected. a- 81. co. ...s.... II.
Leave the girl to me-" said Lady
Gerton. SIN all probability the people
here know nothing of his engagement.
l shall Just mention you casually as
the lady whom he is going to marry,
and all will be WELL"
So Bonnie Doom went about her work
that morning without knowing of the
sword that hung over her head ready at
any moment to fall.
CHAPTER x.
It was surely one of the most quaint
and curious scenes ever witnessed; the
two fashionable high-bred women in the
litfla 0raan dra win U-r0om saprad tn the